Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-10-04

that
} 81 was an escaped convictP'
: "a convict That, sir, did you honor unde
the circumstances"
"Then what do you meanp
: "That-that you had been my mother
} lover.n
: Roger closed his eyes and shuddered, anc
} bowed his head in shame
"You invoke tho friendship which cx.s.et
between my father and you. Thai Friendship
was the death Of my father. Can you den!
J itTn
II cannot; we were both cnipable once, bu
I, at least, have oeen atrocio1Aiy punished
One word from your mother would hnv,
saved me, but she would not say It, and
could not Ihave paid. God knows, In tear
! and groans for my wrong. But all that 4
past and gone. The thing TO consider now 4
tho happiness Of my child, and yours, IL yot
love her, as have been led TO suppose Le
your union repair the past"
"No,n said Raymond at is impossible
"You do not love her thenr
"God only knows how well don
"There must be. then, another reason be
sides the ono you have cited. 1t Is thai
which governs your conduct VIII you tel
mein
~Neverl NJ. Laroque, you see how suffer
Spare me, pity mel"
"Pityi Have you or yours had any for me-
Think Of that poor, innocent child who will
die Who of us three Is TO be the most
pitiedp
Raymond gave fearless 500.
at is to kill her as surely as II you struck
her with a. knife You shall be the first to
hear Of her DEATH" and with these words the
unhappy man left the room. In the garden
he met Julia, and in taking leave of her he
said:
Madame, Raymond and Suzanne love each
other Your son has given her up without
explanation, and my daughter Is dying Save
her. madame
And without further words he drove bur
riedly away, leaving Julia prey to per.
plexity and fear. Why had Raymond vol
unfairly renowned his happinessi What
bad hnppenedi She resolved to question him
as to this new phase Of affairs, and she went
to him as he sat with his head bowed upon
his arms by table As he heard her, he rose
and, taking book, went and sat down by the
open window, and he silently nerved himself
for the grave explanation that soon must
take place between them, and he was afraid.
He had borne the reproaches OF Laroque, the
grief Of Suzanne, and now it was his mothers
turn. He was to hear her questions and
answer them. He was to witness her hushes
OF shame, her tears His motherl And this
was to come to her through him, her best
loved son, who had thus to become her judge.
II was afternoon and already the shadows
were frightening, and Raymond felt glad
that darkness would soon fall upon them and
so make his task little easier. He main
tanned silence until he felt her soft hand fall
upon his shoulder.
"You are sad and preoccupied, my son.
What troubles your
"Nothing," said he hoarsely, feeling him
self, after all. incapable Of bringing about
what he knew must take place.
She sighed as she said;
any poor boy, 1t is not easy for you to tell
lie. Do not try it with me- NJ. Forney
told me you refused the hand Of Suzanne.
You do not answer 1t is true them"
He bowed his head.
"Why this strange and sudden changed
have right to know. Your duty Is to tell
me.n
al shall not answer"
what reproach can you bring against that
pure and noble girlf'
"Nothing, nothingl"
"Her father theni"
"Nor him, either, poor unhappy mani"
"1hen l cannot understand you at all.
Why this mysteryi Speak. command you.
Have you any reproach to make against me,
your mother, who has loved you sop
She had said this last, obeying some occult
power, and when she had uttered the words
She stood breathless waiting his answer What
II her past was knownI Why had she said
that
"You wish to know all, motherI"
81 do, for / know there must be some su-
preme reason for this inexplicable conduct on
your part"
He gathered bis remaining strength, AMI
then said slowly:
"There is a grave secret In NJ. Forney's life.
His name Is not Forney, but it hides another
which is known to you, and which was dis
honored."
"Dishonored, you sayF
ayes, by an infamous condemnation. For
ney is an escaped convict condemned for
assassination to hard labor for life IN New
Caledonia, from whence he escaped to
America"
She had been standing, but now fell into a
chair, almost fainting
His name, his real Manner she cried In a
strangling voice.
"Roger Laroque, my fathers friendr'
She had known what he was going TO say
before he pronounced the words But wild
hope made her ask. Perhaps be did not know
all, but when she heard those words, uttered
with steely hardness, she felt that nothing
was hidden from her son. She was so white
that one would have said she had a secret
wound from which every drop Of her life
blood had flowed. Her son dared not look at
her. Still she did not faint, but tried to over
come her agitation, and Lie for his sake, for
she could not bear to let him believe all he
knew
"Why, yes, believe do remember the
fact This Roger Laroque, the wretch, he
killed man to rob him, and-and the-the
exertion of defending him was too much for
your poor father, who was in very feeble
health. But be had an idea that this Roger
had saved his life once, and 80 bis honor
obliged him to defend the case. But for that
your father might be alive today
Raymond turned then and said slowly,
looking his mother fun in the eyes, "You see
now why this marriage cannot take place"
Eyes, yes; see. A convict's daughter.
N course you could not be expected 10 think
Of it now
vi cOuTSe uObJ answered. ne IN singular
tone.
She breathed. He knew nothing then but
this She was so glad that she forgot to be
aStonished at the fact that this man was
Roger and she had not known IL She felt
1ranquili7ed and relieved, and gave a long
sigh. She had come so near the catastrophe
my poor boyT said she my dearest
sonln
But Ravmond continual.
"Roger Laroque was condemned, but do
you believe he was guiltyF'
Certainly. Your father tried In vain TO
save him, and besides he avowed his crime,
which perhaps you do not know"
~ repeat my question: Do you believe
him guiltyp
"You ask a strange question. I have al
ready answered"
VERY well; tell you he Is innocent
"How do you knowl All convicted Grim
inals say they are innocent Everybody
knows that"
He rose brusquely and walked back and
forth two or three times. and then said Bit
terly, looking at her with hard and pens-
trating glance;
"Ah, mother, mother, take carel Do not
perjure yourself"
my poor son, you must suffer greatly TO
speak SO cruelty to me-"
az neither want nor need your pityn